Clutch with adjustable centrifugal pressure assist levers

Claim 1

In a centrifugal pressure assist type clutch, an improvement comprising: a. a clutch cover; b. a pressure plate adapted to engage and force a clutch disc into engagement with a flywheel; c. spring means between the pressure plate and the clutch cover for urging the pressure plate into engagement with the clutch disc; d. a plurality of release fingers disposed in a radial array at equal angles from each other around the axis of rotation of the clutch, each finger being mounted to the clutch cover for pivotal movement about a pivot axis located in a plane normal to the axis of rotation and tangent to a circle in the plane, each finger including: i. a lever portion extending radially inward from the finger''s pivot axis for engagement by a clutch release bearing; and ii. a centrifugal weight extending radially away from the finger''s pivot axis and offset axially away from the pressure plate and the plane containing the pivot axis such that with rotation of the clutch about its rotational axis the centrifugal weight tends towards the pressure plate; e. means for pivotally mounting each finger to the pressure plate such that pivotal movement of the fingers about their pivot axes in response to movement of the centrifugal weights towards the pressure plate causes a dynamic axial load to be exerted on the pressure plate which urges the pressure plate against the clutch disc; and f. means for adjusting the axial position of each of the release finger''s pivot axis to vary the dynamic loading of the pressure plate by varying the axial position of the centrifugal weights relative to the pressure plate; the adjusting means including i. a yoke spanning each finger and pivotally secured thereto; ii. a bushing rotatably secured to each yoke; and iii. means for securing each bushing to the clutch cover such that the axial position of the bushing with respect to the pressure plate can be varied.